DENVER — — Bo Nix set career bests on Sunday by completing 85% of his passes for 307 yards and four touchdowns. Yet it was Javonte Williams’ 14-yard touchdown run that truly delighted the Denver Broncos’ rookie quarterback.
Williams was pushed into the end zone by a half-dozen of his teammates after being stood up by former teammate Justin Simmons at the 5-yard line, and the Broncos rolled past the Atlanta Falcons 38-6 on Sunday.
“No play ever defines a play,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said. “(But) that was a big effort game from those guys and not a big effort game from us. You have to give those guys a lot of credit for playing hard and physical. And they absolutely went out there and beat us today with their effort and their physicality, and that was a key to the game.
Game-changing or not, Nix suggested Williams’ TD run summed up the Broncos’ resolve after last week’s heartbreaking loss in Kansas City, in which the Chiefs blocked a game-winning field goal attempt as time expired.
Simmons tried to stop Williams at the 5-yard line and held his ground for a second or two as reinforcements arrived from both teams for a shoving match that resembled a rugby srum.
“My feet left the ground and I was still moving,” Williams said. “I said it had to be Quinn (Meinerz). It was a collective effort. I felt like everyone played well on both sides of the ball today.”
That push into the end zone isn’t something they practice, Williams said.
“No, they just saw me and Justin one on one,” he said. “We kind of got into a stalemate and then the cavalry came.”
And they pushed Williams, Simmons and the rest over the goal line to complete the scoring sequence that gave Denver a league-leading 14-3 lead.
“I think this play is kind of the epitome of this week,” Nix said. “Those are the actions you like to see from an attack: one united team that goes for one goal. … Just keep fighting and finding ways to get the touchdown.”
Nix, who was 28 of 33, joined Hall of Famer Peyton Manning as the only rookie QBs in NFL history to throw for more than 200 yards with two or more touchdowns in four consecutive home games. And he joined Dak Prescott (2016) as the only rookies to post four games with a completion percentage of 70% or better, with multiple touchdowns and no interceptions.
The Broncos (6-5) snapped a two-game skid and made it an unhappy homecoming for Simmons, who spent his first eight seasons in Denver before the Broncos paid out his $18.5 million salary last winter. Simmons signed a one-year, $7.5 million contract with the Falcons (6-5), who have lost two in a row.
“I’ve got to find another way to take him down,” said Simmons, who had five tackles and decided not to throw Williams left or right or he would get twisted and throw him over the goal line.
“So I’m just trying to control my feet,” Simmons said. ‘I probably could have stabbed him. But in my mind I am the last line of defense. I’m just trying to push it back.”
Simmons called that play “a small sample size” of Denver’s dominance on Sunday.
Nix provided the main course with 12-yard touchdown throws to Nate Adkins and speedster Marvin Mims Jr. as Denver took a 21-6 halftime lead. In the second half, he hit fellow rookie and Oregon alum Troy Franklin from 7 yards out and Lil’Jordan Humphrey with a 41-yarder that closed the scoring and ended Nix’s day when backup Jarrett Stidham cleaned up.
With the game out of hand, Falcons rookie Michael Penix Jr. Kirk Cousins (18 of 27 for 173 yards, no touchdowns and one interception). Penix promptly completed a 20-yard pass to Ray-Ray McCloud III. Penix finished 2 of 4 for 24 yards.
The Broncos defeated the NFC South by a cumulative 125-37. It marks Denver’s first sweep of a division since they went 4-0 against the NFC North in 2015. When asked if he simply had institutional knowledge of his old division or was on some kind of revenge tour, Denvder coach Sean Payton replied, “No, no, no. I mean, look, we’re just focused on winning. I could say something smart, but I’m not going to.”
Kaden Elliss had nine tackles for Atlanta, but was outdone by his little brother, Jonah Elliss, who had a key sack for Denver, along with a quarterback hit and a tackle for loss.
Falcons CB Kevin King was ruled out in the second quarter with a concussion and WR Darnell Mooney pulled a hamstring in the third quarter. Atlanta ruled out eight players before the game, including several starters on defense. … In the fourth quarter, DL Zach Harrison went out with a knee injury and WR Casey Washington walked to the locker room with an unspecified injury after a deep incompletion.
Broncos S Brandon Jones (abdomen), who replaced Simmons in free agency, was ruled out and replaced by Devon Key, who had four tackles.
Falcons: Host the Los Angeles Chargers on December 1 after their bye week.
Broncos: Next Sunday in Las Vegas.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
